Currently, many states in the U.S. allow compound archery bows which use pulleys to mechanically assist in reducing effort required to hold a drawn bow string. Generally, most states will not let a hunter use a bow that holds a bowstring back by means of a locking device, unless the hunter is handicapped. The present invention is made to fit the catagory of bows whose strings are held by mechanical assistance vs. those whose strings are mechanically held such as the crossbow.
A bow with modified braking uses a brake surface consisting of teeth on a bow wheel or cam that can interlock with similar teeth positioned on a pair of spring seperated brake calipers. Each caliper has a brake contacter consisting of a rack of sliding caliper teeth which is able to slide in a linear path for extension and retraction inside a caliper track. The contactor on each caliper is connected to the caliper track with a track spring. From the bowstrings fully drawn position, the contacters can hold onto the bow wheel teeth and allow up to about a half inch of movement in the direction of bow wheel rotation before the track springs stretch enough to let the bow wheel teeth exit the linear track path and rotate freely in the approximately circular bow wheel path to release the bow string.
The strength of track springs that hold the contactors inside the caliper tracks will determine the amount of archer strength required to hold the bow string drawn after the brake is engaged.
An example of the how the modified brake works is as follows: When the bowstring is at full draw the contactors are remotely engaged from the brake lever via the brake cable with the bow wheel teeth. On a bow that requires 20 lbs. of force to hold the string drawn without the brake, a 9 lb. rated spring would be used on each of the two caliper tracks. This would mean that 18 lbs. of track spring pressure would be working against the 20 lbs. of force applied by the bow limbs to the bow string. Thus, the archer would have to hold approximately 2 lbs. against the string to prevent the bow from firing. If less than 2 lbs. of force were applied by the archer in the preceeding example, the bow wheel teeth would extend the track springs and continue on an approximately circular path to let the bow string release. Following bow string release the extended contactors would retract to their normal positions inside the caliper tracks.
The embodiment shown uses a brake lever on the bow handle to actuate the brake by the archers fingers once the bow string is drawn. Releasing the brake lever returns the tension held by the modified brake to the arms of the archer. By applying stopping power to the bows string, cables, or wheels (pulley system) with a brake, the bow string can be held back with less fatigue.
The described bow would be drawn and held by the archers own strength at all times. One hand would always be on the bow string and the other hand would always be on the bow handle throughout the draw, hold, and release.
The drawing and releasing of the bow string would be performed the same as a conventional compound bow.